Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Illinois Fire Prevention and Building Safety Code Compliance

 


The Division of Fire Prevention and Building Safety, as part of the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, is the division that is responsible for conducting inspections of buildings for compliance to NFPA 101, Life Safety Code.  The division focuses on inspecting educational occupancies, state licensed day cares and group homes as well as above ground tanks of combustible and flammable liquids.  This division of the state fire marshal is also responsible for inspecting hotel and motel occupancies.

Several acts are enforced by the Division of Fire Prevention and Building Safety such as the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act, Employee Regulation Act, Furniture Fire Safety Act, Pyrotechnic Operator and Distributor Licensing Act and more.  The Division of Fire Prevention also inspects all exhibits and buildings at Illinois state fairs and all county fairs.

Illinois Fire Safety Consultant for Compliance Including Chicago Codes

 Businesses can prepare for inspections by the Illinois State Fire Marshal by working with a reputable fire and life safety system provider with experience in Illinois fire safety codes.  HRSS is a leading fire safety provider with decades of experience in Illinois fire prevention and building safety codes including the city of Chicago Construction Codes.

The Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) updates life safety code changes periodically with a recent change affecting providers of services to individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Changes adopted in the 2015 edition of NFPA 101, Life Safety code took effect January 1st, 2020.  Some of the major changes include new options for door locks where residents have a clinical need and changes to both existing and new building sprinkler requirements. 

HRSS can help you decipher the applicable code regulations affecting your building, occupancy, and business operations. Our team of fire safety specialists ensure that you are compliant with all applicable code regulations including the City of Chicago and State of Illinois building and safety codes. We go above code compliance to design the fire and life safety system that provides maximum fire detection and notification customized to your type of building and business.  We provide fire safety inspections to ensure reliable working order of all fire alarm equipment and to help you identify any fire hazards in your building that could pose a risk. 

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal offers answers to many frequently asked questions.  You might find some answers to questions that you have here or you can always contact HRSS for assistance.  Some questions that we see often include:

Q) Do all high rise buildings in Illinois need to be protected by automatic sprinklers?

The answer is not necessarily.  HRSS can help you understand the Life Safety Code requirements for high rise buildings in the Chicago area. The 2015 updates to the Life Safety Code are somewhat more stringent than in prior versions, although an amendment by OSFM’s adoption may permit existing high rise buildings to meet requirements from prior versions.  

Contact HRSS with any questions about requirements for sprinkler systems.

Another question that we get asked frequently is:

Q)  Does Illinois have a building code?

Illinois does have a building code and so does the city of Chicago. Additional code requirements include the International Building Code, any applicable NFPA standards from the National Fire Protection Association including NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code.

Visit the FAQ Section of Illinois State Fire Marshal for more questions and answers regarding fire safety.

Contact HRSS with any questions on applicable building codes for your property and business operations.  Our fire safety specialists are familiar with all local, state, and federal building and fire safety code regulations.  With a team of expert fire alarm system designers, we provide fire safety and security to commercial properties in and around Chicago.

HRSS is a leading fire alarm system and security company in Illinois offering fire and life safety to various commercial properties. We provide experienced consultation, inspections, testing, repairs, maintenance, and monitoring.  Contact us to learn more about fire safety code compliance for businesses in the Chicago area.

This article was originally published at: https://hrsschicago.com/fire-alarm-inspection/illinois-fire-prevention-and-building-safety-code-compliance/

 

 

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